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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23199214">Just Another Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyll/pseuds/Tyll'>Tyll</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Football RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming Out, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:13:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,363</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23199214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyll/pseuds/Tyll</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“So that’s what it is? Just another day? Nothing special? Tell me that you’re not worried.” ...</p>
<p>...or, a hard day's morning.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dele Alli/Eric Dier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Another Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I hope you'll like this short story, let me know what you think about it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Writing">The other side of the bed was empty, but the sheets still held a trace of Eric’s scent. Dele breathed in the fresh air that was pouring through the open window, and he stretched. He rolled onto his stomach, pressing his nose against where Eric lay only minutes ago. The sheet was still warm from his body.</p>
<p class="Writing">Dele opened his eyes, stifled a yawn, and lifted the duvet. The room was chilly, and Dele hurried over to the window to close it. The weather outside was gorgeous. Spring hadn’t defeated winter yet, but the first signs of it were lurking in the air. The sun grew stronger with each day, and the birds sang their welcoming songs; nature was rejuvenating, it was written all over the city.</p>
<p class="Writing">Sad to leave the sight of a beautiful morning, Dele walked to the kitchen, his bare feet slapping against the floor. As he entered the room, he felt the smell of tea, and he heard the sizzling of bacon on the frying pan. In the middle of it stood Eric, tall and strong as always.</p>
<p class="Writing">“I’ve scrambled some eggs, there’s bacon in the making, and your tea is right here,” he said as he put a cup on the counter in front of Dele who accepted it gratefully.</p>
<p class="Writing">“I must have been a saint in my previous life to deserve you,” he said, smiling. He took a big sip of the tea, and the last shreds of sleepiness left his body.</p>
<p class="Writing">While Eric focused on cooking, Dele set the table and poured orange juice for both of them. He sliced some tomatoes, the only job he could be trusted with in the kitchen according to Eric. A minute later, a wonderful breakfast was waiting for them and they sat down with great appetite.</p>
<p class="Writing">But Dele couldn’t enjoy the food. He tried to swallow a bit, but it got stuck in his throat. Coughing, he sent it on its way with the whole glass of orange juice, which, in turn, made his stomach flip.</p>
<p class="Writing">“What’s wrong?” Eric asked. He didn’t have any trouble devouring his breakfast. He swallowed one mouthful after the other, barely stopping to chew.</p>
<p class="Writing">“Nothing,” Dele said. He put down his fork and leaned back in his chair. “Not hungry, that’s all.”</p>
<p class="Writing">“You should eat. You’ll need the energy.”</p>
<p class="Writing">“I know, but I can’t,” Dele said. “Aren’t you nervous?”</p>
<p class="Writing">“About what?” Eric asked. He was playing the dumb, but he wasn’t convincing.</p>
<p class="Writing">“About today. About what will happen.”</p>
<p class="Writing">“Why? Did you change your mind?” Eric asked.</p>
<p class="Writing">“No, it’s not that,” Dele said.</p>
<p class="Writing">“Then it’s going to be just another day,” Eric shrugged.</p>
<p class="Writing">“So that’s what it is?” Dele asked. He didn’t mean his voice to be so snappy, but he couldn’t take it back and it got Eric’s full attention. “Just another day? Nothing special? Tell me that you’re not worried.”</p>
<p class="Writing">“Honestly?” Eric asked. “I’m shitting my pants. But that’s not gonna help either of us, so I might as well not do it.”</p>
<p class="Writing">Dele couldn’t hold back a soft chuckle, but it was bittersweet. He hung his head low to hide his doubts from Eric. Eric made everything sound so simple, and that’s why Dele loved him, that’s why he needed him. The problem was that there were still times when he couldn’t believe Eric’s oversimplified view of the world.</p>
<p class="Writing">“Hey,” Eric said, this time more tenderly. He reached over the table and stroked the back of Dele’s hand. “Everything’s going to be fine, alright?”</p>
<p class="Writing">Dele lifted his head and looked Eric in the eye. Like so many times before, he found reassurance in them. The question was if it would be enough for today.</p>
<p class="Writing">“We’ll make it,” Eric said. “Together.”</p>
<p class="Writing">Dele nodded, but he still had a heavy heart. Things were easier for Eric, because it felt like he wasn’t risking as much as Dele was. It was stupid, and Dele knew it, and he hated himself for thinking that way. Eric was taking at least as big a lunge as Dele, and neither of them would survive it if they let anything stand between them.</p>
<p class="Writing">“But you should finish your breakfast first,” Eric said. “Otherwise, one session of José’s training, and you’ll collapse dead on the pitch.”</p>
<p class="Writing">Dele smiled. He’d be lucky if he lived that long; there was a high chance that he’d never get to start training at all. He still managed to eat all of his breakfast though, spurred on by Eric’s loving eyes and soft touches.</p>
<p class="Writing">When Dele finished, Eric stood up to wash the plates and Dele helped him. They moved about as the well-oiled partnership they were. On mornings like this, Dele couldn’t believe how out-of-place he used to feel in the kitchen.</p>
<p class="Writing">Once the plates were stacked away in the cabinets, and the cutlery returned to its place in a drawer, Eric cleaned the countertop. Only then they went to the bathroom to have a shower together. The soothing water flowing over their naked bodies, they exchanged quick kisses. Dele wanted the moment to last longer, maybe stretch to eternity. Standing in the shower cubicle, vapour enveloping them, they felt invincible.</p>
<p class="Writing">When they returned to their bedroom, their phones buzzed with messages from their teammates and friends. Dele scrolled through a few of them, but he soon got tired of all the “Good lucks”, “You’ll make its” and “Proud of yous”. At the same time, he also felt a new dose of courage surge through his body. When he looked up from his phone, he saw Eric smiling, and it silenced Dele’s worries. He was still unsure and scared, but in a few minutes’ time there would be no turning back, not that he wanted to.</p>
<p class="Writing">He walked over to Eric’s side of the bed and hugged him.</p>
<p class="Writing">“What was that for?”</p>
<p class="Writing">“For being who you are,” Dele said, smiling. “I love you.”</p>
<p class="Writing">He could still remember the first time he said those words to Eric in a hotel room after a particularly good away game. His heart was beating like mad, and he was sure that he wouldn’t live to hear Eric’s answer. But then Eric moved, turned on the light so he could see Dele’s face, and then told him the same.</p>
<p class="Writing">“I love you too,” Eric said with the same intensity standing in their room as he had done that night. “Let’s get dressed and get going now, or we’ll be late.”</p>
<p class="Writing">“Okay,” Dele said.</p>
<p class="Writing">He squeezed Eric’s hips once more and then they walked over to the wardrobe. As usual, Eric grabbed the first clean hoodie and sweatpants he could find, while Dele listed through countless T-shirts, pants, and accessories before he finally settled for a combination he was satisfied with.</p>
<p class="Writing">“Ready?” Eric asked him when Dele finally joined him. In the meantime, he had managed to check his messages again and skim over a tactical analysis of their last game.</p>
<p class="Writing">“Sorry I made you wait,” Dele said. He walked out of the bedroom and started for the hall, Eric following him.</p>
<p class="Writing">“No problem, I’m getting used to it.” Dele could imagine Eric’s smug smile without looking back at him.</p>
<p class="Writing">With the front door in sight, Dele’s nervousness returned. He stopped dead, but Eric pushed him forward. They put on their jackets and were tying their shoelaces when Dele noticed Eric’s hands shaking. He did his best not to show it, but it didn’t evade Dele’s attention.</p>
<p class="Writing">“Can we go now?” Eric asked, talking quietly so his voice would not break.</p>
<p class="Writing">He didn’t give Dele time to consider, there was no time for second thoughts now. He walked over to the door, opened it, and then reached out his hand towards Dele. Dele took it with a faint smile. This was the first time he did so before leaving the security of their homes.</p>
<p class="Writing">They walked to Eric’s car holding hands, their hearts beating in their throats.</p>
<p class="Writing">Dele didn’t know who the first person to take pictures of them was and how much they got from the press. He didn’t even care.</p>
<p class="Writing">Holding Eric’s hand was the thing that felt right, and he never planned to let go of it.</p>
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